Airship Industries (AI) flew
its Skyship 600 for the first
time on March 6. The new
machine is larger than its
predecessor, the Skyship 500,
has passenger accommo
dation for some 20 people, and
offers considerably greater
range. After initial test work it
will be fitted with power
controls in the form of a fly-
by-light system being devel
oped by Marconi Avionics
(see Flight for November 12,
page 1310).
First flight of the new
machine comes at an
important time in Airship
Industries' development. The
manufacturer is currently
raising additional capital to
pay for continued work on the
two airships. Australia's Bond
Corporation is underwriting a
rights issue which will raise £7
million. Chairman Alan Bond
was behind the successful
Australia II racing yacht
which won the "America's
Cup" from the New York
Yacht Club last year. Bond
Corporation has interests in
mineral exploration, property,
brewing, and hotels.
Just 12 months ago some
£5-5 million was raised in a
rights issue to provide capital
for a major production
programme. The new issue is
said to be necessary to ensure
that the past eight years' work
is not jeopardised at a time
when commercial viability
had never been closer.
Airship Industries filed a
loss of £2 • 3 million for the six
months to September 30,
1983. It attributes this to
three factors. First, modifica
tions to the Skyship 500
required more engineering
and flight-test time than
expected, with longer-than-
expected delays in receiving
Civil Aviation Authority
certification. An aerial-work
certificate was awarded in
November 1983; full pas
senger-transport approval is
expected in about three
months. Secondly, AI suffered
a setback in its plans to estab
lish a company in Canada. It
has now reached an agree
ment with a subsidiary of
Westinghouse, covering oper
ations in North America.
Thirdly, the delays in obtain
ing certification prevented
receipt of "the early revenue
672
Alongside Skyship 500-02, Skyship 600 is prepared for its first flight *?
boost" which had appeared
likely, while full establish
ment had been maintained.
The company lost of almost
£10 million between June
1978 and September 1983
including an operating loss of
some £8-5 million, both
figures being calculated
according to historic-cost
conventions.
Following last week's first
flight of the Skyship 600, pilot
Cdr Nick Bennett reports a
"copybook operation. The
ship behaved exactly as expec
ted, no modifications are
required, and we will therefore
be starting immediately with
certification flying".
AI says that obtaining
approval for the new machine
should be a far quicker
process, given the consid
erable commonality between
the two airships.
The new airship is dwarfed by the doors of its Cardington shed
Certification of the Skyship
500 is now expected in June,
with final approval for
passenger-transport oper
ations with the 600 predicted
for March 1985. This is some
what later than the respective
September 1983 and March
1984 dates given a year ago.
Skyship production to date
comprises three 500s and the
single 600. The initial Skyship
500 (02-G-BIHN) is con
tinuing with the C of A flying,
pilot training, and demonstra
tions at Cardington. Certifica
tion procedures are described
by AI as "95 per cent
complete". Ships 03 and 04
have been based at Weeksville
(North Carolina) and are both
involved in pilot training and
certification work; 03 is the
machine used by the US
Naval Development Centre
for a three-month trial in
1983. Skyship 500-04 is leased
by New York advertising
agency Dentsu for a six-
month promotional tour of
the USA in the colours of Fuji
Film.
Airship Industries plans to
produce two more Skyship
500s and some six more 600s
by the end of March 1985.
Construction of three of these
has been described as "at an
advanced stage".
Since last year's rights issue
Al has sold Skyship 500-02 to
Britain's Department of
Trade & Industry under a pre-
FL1GHT International, 17 March 1984*
y